Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson

 

Last night, I finished reading Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson. This historical fiction novel is about Homer, a twelve-year-old boy who escapes from Southerland Plantation with his younger sister, Ada. With the help of Suleman, Homer and Ada discover Freewater, a secret community of formerly enslaved people and their freeborn children in the swamp, where they find freedom. Although Homer and Ada befriend some of the other children, Sanzi, Juna, Billy, and Ferdinand, over the next few weeks, Homer can't forget his mother who was left behind when she went back to the plantation for Homer's friend, Anna. As loggers approach the boundaries of Freewater, Homer helps with building a new sky bridge that they can use for escape if necessary. Then, after Sanzi accidentally lights the cornfields on fire with a flaming arrow following a wedding, Homer decides it's time to go back to the plantation to rescue his mother and Anna.

This book was absolutely amazing and definitely a worthy winner of the 2023 Newbery Medal. I really enjoyed how adventurous it was and there was suspense throughout that made me want to keep reading and learn if Homer would be successful in freeing his mom. Although I often found Sanzi frustrating because she seemed ungrateful as a freeborn child, she grows as a character after she makes the mistake of starting the fire in the cornfields and helps Homer on his journey back to the plantation. The relationship between Homer and his sister, Ada, was sweet and it made made me happy that they looked out for each other. Ada's imagination was especially a joy to read. I also loved the friendship (future romance?) between Juna and Billy. The climax of this book when Homer and the other children carry out their plan of rescuing Homer and Ada's mom and stealing tools during a wedding at the plantation was exhilarating. Additionally, the book includes an author's note at the end explaining the history of hidden communities founded by Black and Indigenous peoples.  Everyone should read Freewater whether they like historical fiction, adventure, or stories of family and friendship.